Depth
by Simplintrigued
Summary: It's a paradox, really. Being able to truly see and judge a person only when one becomes blind. SasuxHina
1. Chapter 1

_Depth. This is a collaborative writing project with a friend of mine, and we decided to try something different. It's our first try, so please be nice! This is an original story, and any coincidences are entirely ... coincidental._

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Activating her Byakugan silently, she quietly scanned the area for danger before giving an affirming nod to her silent companion travelling behind her. He had been so silent she had almost thought she was alone. "Sa-Sasuke-san, it is safe to set up camp now." She cringed slightly at her stuttering.

"Hn.. We'll set up camp near the stream ahead."

"H-hai." They landed lightly at their designated place. She watched as he investigated the area, his dark ebony eyes never missing a thing. Every team leader had their own methods, and own quirks, so she stood out of the way, uncertain. After all, this was her first mission with him.

"Get some rest, then we'll go over the mission route."

"Hai." The silence that followed would definitely be unbearable to Naruto, she thought smilingly, probably rivalled only by Lee-san and Gai-sensei. However, she found herself enjoying the peace and stillness that enveloped them. Glancing over at her companion, she found him deep in concentration, staring at the mission requirements Tsunade-sama had given them earlier. His brow was slightly furrowed, his blue-black hair brushing across his face. "U-um...Is there a p-problem with the mission?"

There was a long silence following Hinata's question, before Sasuke spoke, "It appears that we would have to travel very near to Sound territory. We should reroute, since Sound is in a state of unrest and close to attacking Konoha anytime."

The implications were clear. If they were spotted, the Sound-nin would definitely engage them in battle, effectively delaying the duo to 'deliver a scroll discreetly'. The pair decided to take a detour to avoid Sound. It was more time-consuming, but definitely safer.

"A-ano, Sasuke-san, you should rest now. I-I'll take the first shift," Hinata mumbled.

Sasuke replied with his signature 'Hn', before propping himself against the buttress roots of a tree. Suddenly, he stiffened. Hinata noticed the change, and asked in a slightly panicked voice, "Sa-Sasuke-san! Are there enemy-nins n-nearby?

Sasuke shook his head. "It's just me," he said brusquely, "Nothing's wrong."

Hinata let out a relieved sigh and nodded, feeling lucky that she was on a mission with one of Konoha's strongest jounin. However, what she did not know was that Sasuke failed to report the slight throbbing of his curse mark that intensified as they got closer to Sound, to her.

The next morning, Hinata found herself pleasantly surprised to be awoken gently by Sasuke. It was an entire world of difference travelling with him. Travelling with Naruto was a disaster to her sleep. She would normally be rudely awoken up by that loud, cheery voice of his. When travelling with her own team, Kiba usually let Akamaru wake her up by licking her face. However, that stopped being cute when Akamaru developed a liking for sardines, something Kiba was delighted to indulge him in. Sasuke, on the other hand, gently shook her shoulders, softly murmuring her name. She found herself wondering exactly how ecstatic Sakura would be each time Sasuke woke her up. A smile played on her lips. Sasuke was intimidating, but he was really nice actually.

Not a single sound was exchanged as they continued travelling, taking the planned detour around Sound. This time, however, Sasuke was leading. She found herself slightly mesmerised by the grace and elegance at which he moved, leaping from branch to branch fluidly. She noted that his hand occasionally travelled to his left shoulder to worry his collar.

Suddenly, she felt her senses tingling. Something...something was wrong. She jerked head up sharply to look towards Sasuke, waiting for instructions. A kunai was in his hand, his eyes darting about, as he leaned into a defensive crouch, his back facing her.

Fear seeped into Hinata. How many enemy-nin were there? Could she even take them down with her pathetic skills? Or would her name be carved into the memorial stone, one of the many ninja who died during a mission? She broke out of her reverie, and her pale eyes focused on Sasuke. He was tense, alert, cool-headed and brave. He was strong, and knew how to utilise his bloodline limit to a great extent. He was the epitome of what the Hyuuga heiress wanted to be. Hinata mentally smacked herself. Here she was, in the middle of a potential battle, and suffering from a bout of low self-esteem. She had trained hard, with blood, sweat and tears as a testimony to her growing strength. She had come a long way from the weak, helpless girl she once was. With renewed determination, she slipped into a defensive stance with practiced ease.

"Byakugan!"

Scanning the area worriedly, she settled into her Gentle Fist, style, ready to provide backup and assistance for Sasuke. Suddenly, a whole barrage of kunai and shuriken flew towards them, and Sasuke surprised her greatly by remaining rooted, allowing her to carry out her Gentle Fist, deflecting every single weapon. To her disbelief, he gave her an approving nod, a further confirmation of his belief in her, and her skills. Suddenly, with a whirl of leaves, Sasuke appeared in front of her, deflecting a kunai that was aiming directly for her heart, and the other hand performing a Chidori, killing the enemy-nin instantly. Mentally slapping herself for her lapse in attention, she gave a silent nod of thanks, continuing to protect herself while keeping an eye out for him.

That omen of danger still lingered, hanging heavily in their surroundings, accentuated by the abnormal stillness of the forest. Hinata quickly glanced around, looking for any slightest indication of enemy chakra, but to her bewilderment, there was not a single trace of chakra anywhere.

'If it's not around us...then could it be..?' Hinata remembered Kakashi's signature move.

"Below!" Hinata shouted.

Both leapt off the branch as they felt the slightest tremble of the tree. Sure enough, the moment they leapt off, the branch beneath them exploded, with splinters littering the forest floor. Suddenly, a strong sense of foreboding overwhelmed them. In a flash of yellow and purple, Orochimaru materialised in front of them. Eyes widening in horror, Hinata gave a start when a gasp of pain behind her alerted her to the fact that Sasuke was down. She whipped around, almost uncaring of the fact that Orochimaru was standing there, right in front of her. "Sasuke-san!" she shrieked, terror rising in her heart. Both of his hands clasped his left shoulder, gripping so hard she was sure it would leave a nasty bruise. She took him by the shoulders, shaking him gently. His eyes were shut tight in pain, his breathing coming in fast, ragged gasps, and his face draining of colour.

"Little wonder you were reluctant to leave Konoha," Orochimaru sneered maliciously. "Well, Sasuke, listen up, you will be coming to me for power, whether you like it or not, when I start killing your friends one by one." The killing intent he gave off caused Hinata to freeze. "You'll be sorry you didn't come to me two years ago. Take this as your first warning." With that, his fingers formed very complex seals, and Hinata found a haze slowly enveloping her eyes, sealing them into darkness. Distraught and speechless with fear, she fell against Sasuke's trembling form, not realising that Orochimary had disappeared.

"....nata...Hinata....wake up!"

"Sa-Sasuke-san..?" Hinata murmured, unable to clear the fogs of sleep clouding her mind.

"Are you alright? Did the snake-bastard hurt you?" A tinge of uncontrolled rage crept into his voice.

"N-no, I-I'm fine...Oh, I-I'm so sorry! I-I was out for s-so long, it's already n-night time." Hinata could feel the distinctly familiar sensation of guilt and frustration inundating her.

Sasuke stiffened beside the petite Hyuuga. Something was definitely not right. Even though she claimed Orochimaru had not harmed her, it was clear that he had. Sasuke drew a bold conclusion.

Hinata tilted her head to the left slightly, attempting to adjust her eyes. The forest could be really dark sometimes, but it should not be so dark that she could not even trace the silhouette of her companion. The memory of Orochimaru performing complex seals hit her. Slowly, the pieces fell into place and clicked.

"Hinata, you are..." he started bluntly.

"Sa-Sasuke-san! Am I.." Hinata almost did not dare imagine it, much less give volume to it.

"Blind..."

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:)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: We realised recently that we gave no indication of how frequently the chapters of this story will be uploaded and are incredibly sorry if we kept anybody waiting. This year's a busy one, but we'll try to update as soon as we can. Thanks for all the great reviews that really kept us going. It's amazing, really, the feeling that awesome people like you took time to give constructive criticism. Do keep them going!

Replies to reviews:

otakugirl96: That's nice. Haha. I really don't like Orochimaru too, he creeps me out, for some reason. :)

mangaanime: After every paragraph we wrote, we had to go back and re-read it to ensure they are in character. Sasuke's easier, I feel. :)

Nemulos: Don't worry, it would be depressing to write an emo Hinata too. :)

pigs103: I'm sorry, we don't really get it. :)

number1animefan: Haha, I can't wait either. I love it when stories have these sweet little moments, what is it called, fluff? :)

I read somewhere that fanfiction does not allow people to reply to reviews this way, but I just checked the guildlines, and there doesn't seem to be any rules about that. We'd be deeply grateful if anyone can point it out to us.

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Hinata was on the verge of crying. After the startling revelation that she was blind, she returned to the village, cold, frightened and almost alone. Sasuke had a negligible presence sometimes. Immediately after they reported to Tsunade-sama, a flurry of activities and events commenced, leaving her more confused, dizzy and terrified.

Tsunade-sama herself has checked on Hinata, running through the standard procedures and probing her eyes. Soothing warm chakra flowed into Hinata, travelling through her eye channels before it simply dissipated when it reached a certain point of the optic nerve, preventing further signals to the brain. Tsunade frowned, not liking where this was heading. She attempted once more, pouring copious amounts of chakra into the numerous chakra channels of the Byakugan, but was met with the same outcome.

"Hinata, I want you to try activating your Byakugan," Tsunade instructed.

"H-hai! Byakugan!" Hinata felt the usual circulation of her signature chakra into the various channels but this time, something was amiss. Her chakra could not flow beyond a certain point to her brain. It simply disappeared.

"I-I can't..." Hinata squeaked with horror.

Tsunade sighed heavily before rising from her chair. "Hinata, I'm unclear of the cause of this...blindness, but as far as I know, it does not put you in any imminent danger. I will require you to be placed under observation until further notice. " Smiling comfortingly at her before mentally shaking herself when she remembered the girl could not even see her own fingers, much less her, she walked back to her office, deep in thought.

"Shizune, send for Hyuuga Hiashi."

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The man strode in, confusion painted across his face. "You called, Hokage-sama?" Nodding in confirmation, she proceeded to inform him of Hinata's condition, making sure to keep the volume of their conversation to the minimum, bearing in mind that Hinata was just a few doors away. Hiashi, on the other hand, could not care less about that. As she spoke, his face darkened in cold, pure fury. "What do you mean my daughter is blind? My daughter, the heir of the Hyuuga clan?" he spit out, the temperature of his voice plunging to sub-arctic levels with every syllable. Turning, he caught sight of Sasuke, who had been standing stiffly and silently in the corner of the room. With surprising force, he leapt forwards and slapped the boy, leaving angry, red marks where he had struck the pale cheek. Tsunade found herself gaping. That Hiashi had dared to strike the boy, the renowned strongest fighter in Konoha, in her presence, was shocking enough. What was more astounding was that Sasuke had allowed the blow, and turned slowly back to face him, eyes clear and sharp. "I apologise, Hiashi. I was unable to protect her."

The words were like a bucket of cold water splashed on the older man. In that instant, Hiashi's pale eyes widened slightly before he straightened and pulled on the mask of the patriarch of the prestigious Hyuuga clan. "I apologise for my uncharacteristic behaviour, Hokage-sama. I was overwhelmed upon learning that my daughter has been...severely injured. I would like to visit her now, if you would excuse me," Hiashi turned and exited the room, not once sparing a glance at the other occupant in the room.

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"Uchiha, you jolly well tell me what the hell happened." The threat was apparent in Tsunade's glare.

He simply gazed directly back into her angry stare, allowing the silence to amplify, until it bordered on awkwardness. Tsunade gave an involuntary twitch. She was the Hokage, the Godaime Hokage, for God's sake. Did nobody respect that anymore? She would have dearly loved to crack her knuckles at him, displaying her formidable physical prowess, to take him down a notch or two, except, she had never really known what to do with him sometimes. He was different, definitely different, from the others in his generation.

"We were getting too close to Sound and had to re-route. We were ambushed by Orochimaru and several Sound-nin. I was unable to protect Hinata. I..." he trailed away uncertainly, his pale fingers trailing unconsciously to his curse mask, his brows drawing together. Tsunade sighed, cursing her former teammate to the deepest depths of hell.

"You're dismissed."

He turned immediately and strode out.

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Hiashi entered the observation room and almost immediately, the sterilised smell of the room hit him. He wrinkled his nose slightly in disgust. Hospitals existed only because weak people existed, and it was a shame that any Hyuuga would have to be admitted into the hospital. Mentally sighing, he walked towards the foot of the bed of the disgraced Hyuuga.

Hinata could not see the visitor nor did he utter a sound, but his intimidating presence clearly announced his identity. Hinata felt a swell of nervousness; this was the first time a family member had visited her after that botched mission that left her blind. He stood there silently, pinning her with a glare. As the minutes ticked by, the silence grew unnerving and Hinata tried to mitigate it by speaking, "U-uh...I-"

"You are blind." It was not a question, but a statement.

"H-hai..." A defeated murmur.

"A Hyuuga's most important asset is his eyes, and you have failed to protect them. You are unworthy of being the next heiress of the clan. You are a disgrace." To him, to the clan, and to Konoha, Hinata thought dazedly.

She could read the tacit message behind his visit; you are henceforth disowned. It was too much. The deluge of emotions; confusion, pain, fear and sorrow inundated her, and she cried.

Walking out of the Hokage's office, Sasuke had only one thing on his mind, that was, to check on the Hyuuga heiress. 'Why, though,' he wondered. The closest he had ever come to her was through Naruto. Why, then, did he feel the need to visit her and assure himself of her well-being? It...He failed to protect her. This was his duty.

Without sparing a glance at the Hyuuga striding out of the hospital room, he moved closer before pausing when he heard quiet, muffled sobs on the other side of the door, his hand frozen midway on its course to pushing the door open. Hesitating a little, he turned and strode off in the direction of home.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors' note: Due to our hectic schedules, updates may become less frequent, and we're incredibly sorry about this. We're really excited about this story, and can't wait till all the SasuHina moments start pouring in. :) Once again, thanks so much for all your reviews. Just imagine the smiles on our faces every time a new review comes in. Also, do feel free to leave comments about the kind of things you would like to see in this story, and any loopholes that we might have overlooked. We can't guarantee all ideas will be used, but it'd be nice to have different ideas from all the awesome people out there.

Replies to reviews:

mangaanime: Hahas. I giggled out loud at the part where Sasuke took the blow. I just found it really cool, though I say it myself. :)

Nemulos: I just have to say this. When we're writing the story and revising it, we continually think about your comment about her fortitude. It had a huge impact on our story. Thanks for that constructive comment! :) It might seem we're making her kinda weak at the moment, she will need time to adjust to everything after all. And she will and is going to get stronger.

Sepsis: She won't be poor Hinata soon, when Sasuke comes in. :)

otakugirl96: My impression of Hiashi is that he's a really proud person and domineering too. He might love Hinata, but he doesn't know how to show it. He just wants her to be stronger though. :) I wonder if our version of Hiashi in this story is too cruel though.

number1animefan: Hehe. I love the drama there too. Hinata might seem a weakling at the moment, but we guarantee she's definitely going to grow stronger, and Sasuke's going to be playing a big part. :)

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Just a small side note:

Fovea: a yellow depression on the retina with highest concentration of photoreceptors when images are focused on

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Dreams. Hinata had never really liked dreams. Her dreams mainly consisted of watching Neji and Hanabi soar and grow while she sank deeper and deeper into the shadows. Now, however, her dreams consisted of Sasuke writhing in pain, a flash of Chidori, and the never-ending darkness. It seemed as if the dreams would never end. Even while awake, everything seemed like a dream. It was unnerving, to find all her senses dulled. She had heard people say before that blind people tend to have enhanced senses, but it didn't seem at all true in her case.

She awoke to the murky gloom, a very unfamiliar feeling she could never get used to. Her eyes felt swollen and puffy, and she remembered crying herself to sleep. All at once, weariness settled bone-deep in her, along with a numbness that could only have been caused by her pain. A small sigh escaped her, as she felt around for the window to discern the time as she had seen some patients with serious eye conditions doing. The panel was slightly warm, an indication it was already late morning.

"Ah, Hinata, you're awake. I thought you needed the rest so I came in later."

"T-Tsunade-sama..."

Hinata's heart sank. Tsunade-sama knew. She knew of how Hinata's father had disowned her. Out of sheer force of habit, Hinata bowed her head and twiddled her fingers. She wished dearly to see the kind, motherly expression on Tsunade's face, so different from her usually professionally stoic face, that she showed only when she could drop her professional front. However, it was probably a good thing she couldn't see the kindness and concern radiating from those honey-brown eyes she remembered. It would probably reduce her to tears again, which was something she wanted desperately to avoid. It wouldn't do to be crying every single time someone visited her. It would only serve to make her appear even weaker than she already was.

"Hinata, I know you're a medic-nin in training, so I'll go straight to the point. I was up last night researching on the cause of your blindness, and I am certain that bastard has placed a Chakra seal in your optic nerve, a sure and simple way to render blindness and prevent you from using your Byakugan. It not only blocks Chakra from flowing, but also prevents nerve impulses from travelling to the brain. So, in actual fact, you are actually seeing the images around you. They are still being focused on your fovea but you are unable to see them precisely because that seal is preventing your brain from receiving the nerve impulses. This is the first case I've come across, simply because there isn't a point in blocking the optic nerve, except for the fact that it's now being used as a pressure tactic to force Sasuke into joining that bastard."

Slightly overwhelmed by the medical jargon, Hinata nodded, feeling relieved in spite of herself that her eyes were not injured, and that her bloodline limit was still intact.

"Ts-Tsunade-sama, does that mean I-I'll be able to s-see again if the seal is r-removed?"

"Definitely, it's just that the seal is dangerously close to your retina and an operation has higher chances of failure than success, even though it's just a simple seal. He always has to use the simplest things to befuddle and aggravate me, doesn't he?" She snapped to nobody in particular. Quickly recovering herself, she hurried on to explain. "I didn't mean to scare you, Hinata. I'm sure there's a way to get rid of it. I already have Sakura and Shizune working on it, so rest assured you're in good hands."

"I-I understand. Thank you s-so much for helping m-me."

Smiling fondly at the girl, Tsunade ruffled her hair gently before exiting the room.

Before Hinata had the time to re-collect the conversation with Tsunade and try to remember all she had learnt about the human eye, the door flew open with a glass-shattering smash that could only be Naruto. "Damn that Uzumaki brat!" could be heard from a few floors down. Hinata beamed hugely, her heart constricting as yellow sunshine seemed to fill the room. She knew the hospital staff did not mean it, though. It was almost customary for Naruto to be greeted like that. Hospitals and Naruto were just about as miscible as oil and water. His loud and cheery character clashed perfectly with the cold and sterile hospital setting.

"Hinata-chan! We heard you were b-"By the sound of it, somebody had just clamped a vice-like grip over Naruto's mouth.

"Sorry Hinata! Naruto and I are here to visit you. How are you feeling? Better now? Kiba and Shino were upset about not being able to visit you. They're very worried you know? They were sent on a mission the minute Sasuke-kun brought you back." Sakura cut in.

"U-uh, N-Na-Naruto-kun...S-Sakura-chan..."

Hinata felt the heat rising in her cheeks as somebody settled on her bed with a none-too-soft thump. "Teme had a disadvantage. It wasn't fair at all. I should have gone on that mission with you! I would have been able to protect you. Damn that Orochimaru-bastard! Tsunade-sama's told us what happened. I swear it, I'll exact revenge for you!" Naruto rambled on without paying much heed to her greeting.

"N-Naruto-kun, i-it's ok...I-I should have b-been able to p-protect..." Her voise trailed away into silence as she felt a slight tremble in her voice.

Hinata's eyebrows drew together imperceptibly. "Naruto...he think's I'm weak, doesn't he? He...he's pitying me, isn't he? I shouldn't have to rely on anybody to protect me." She closed her eyes to prevent the overwhelming hurt from showing in her eyes, and the sting behind them from morphing into tears. Sakura, probably mistaking her behaviour as a reaction to Orochimaru's name, bid a hasty goodbye, and dragged Naruto out of the room before he could inflict further unintentional harm.

Taking deep breaths to calm herself down, allowing the oxygen to clear her mind and remove unwanted thought about her strength and ability, or lack thereof, she focused hard on remembering all that Shizune-sempai had thought her about the human eye. Oxygen was a natural healer, Shizune had taught, and it helped to lessen the pain in her chest. Pleating the blanket covering her legs into a tiny fan, she closed her eyes, not that it made any difference to her vision, and brought her mind back to the lesson she had a few weeks ago about the eye.

Vitreous humor, aqueous humor... Lenses, and suspensory ligaments... The ciliary body, the choroid and the sclerotic coat... No, it couldn't be at all. She sighed, leaning back into the pillows. This wasn't helping in the least. She had only covered the basics of the eye and Tsunade-sama had already said her eyes were in perfect working condition, and it was the Chakra seal in her optic nerve that was the crux of the problem. She tried to curse as she had heard other Shinobi in the field curse. "D-d-da-damn i-it." Despite herself, she managed a weak chuckle. This was just typical of herself. Her father had always emphasised on social grace and manners, and it was totally unbecoming of a Hyuuga to curse. She had just broken the rule, though she stuttered so much, nobody would have been able to discern the curse.

She sighed, turning over to prevent a stiff back. With her mind a blank, her thoughts quickly settled on the last time she had her sight. Shuddering when she remembered the proximity to Orochimaru, she frowned, suddenly thinking that Orochimaru's reason for blinding her as a pressure tactic was rather blithe. He is supposed to be a genius isn't he?

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, I've a question that's been bugging me for awhile already."

"Just spit it out, Shizune."

"Why did Orochimaru have to blind Hinata-chan? Wouldn't it be a better pressure tactic if he just killed Sasuke-kun's teammates? I know I'm being blunt here, but that's the truth. Sasuke-kun would probably be under greater pressure if his teammates were dead because of him."

"I've thought about that too, impossible as it may seem, under the influence of sake." Tsunade muttered, glaring as Shizune tried and failed to muffle a giggle. "It's the way the bastard's mind works. On one hand, it might be greater pressure on Sasuke if he killed Hinata, but it's my guess that he wants Sasuke to see his handiwork daily. It's a different sort of psychological attack from the one you're thinking of. Sasuke is not Kakashi, as Orochimaru probably knows by now. Only Kakashi spends all his time mourning the dead. Sasuke isn't close to most people, so their deaths are likely to affect him less."

"That's...that's..." Shizune stuttered, astonished at the amount of thinking Tsunade had put in, and shocked at the knowledge Orochimaru had of the Konoha Shinobi. "That's one sick reason."

"No one ever said he wasn't a sick bastard." Tsunade sighed deeply, "and less talk, more work. You're supposed to be researching optical signals and electrical impulses, not ask me about my formal teammate."

* * *

The day passed slowly, Hinata's mind drifting from semi-conscious to full consciousness as she tried and failed to find anything to distract herself and make time pass more quickly. Despite being a ninja taught to have patience and to strike when the first opportunity arrived, she was waiting for nothing. Her patience would not be rewarded with a sense of satisfaction at fufilling her duty. She was just wasting the time away, waiting for night to come. For what, she had no idea.

Shifting her head to find a cooler spot on her pillow, Hinata stiffened slightly as she sensed Chakra nearby. This Chakra, it was electrifying, and it was pulsing. If she could put a colour to it, it would probably be...it would probably be blue, with sparks of white and silver. This person...he had to be Sasuke.


	4. Chapter 4

Authors' Note: Hey everybody! Thank you for supporting depth up till this chap! Unfortunately, we have exams coming up. Really nasty exams that are going to prevent us from writing... so for the next two weeks at least, we wont be posting anything. sigh~ We know we've kept some of you awesome people waiting, and there's that little nagging feeling at the back of our minds while we prepare for our papers. Ok, about the last chapter, it seems we've disappointed some of the SasuHina fans out there, but we do hope that this chapter's worth the wait. After all, we needed a chapter to tie up any loose ends. We wanted to answer all questions before any came our way!

Replies to reviews:

nemulos: We really though long and hard about how to make Orochimaru's actions sound believable, and each chapter's proofread quite a number of times to ensure proper grammer, punctuation, spelling and Hinata's fortitude! :)

Lauren: New reviewer! I hope we don't disappoint. Do continue reviewing! :)

kitsunekitsune-bi: New reviewer! Hahas. I had to flip through my Biology books to find those Biology terms on the eye. Hope you will find the rest of the story interesting too. :)

crookshies: Updated! Do continue to review and let us know your thoughts about this story. :)

number1animefan: Yep, you're absolutely right! Hope this chapter's up to your expectations about interaction between the two of them. Feel free to comment about anything you'd like to see in the upcoming interactions between them. :)

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"Sa-Sa-Sasuke-san, what..." her stutter was surprisingly loud in the stillness and the silence of the night that enveloped them.

"I'm sorry, Hinata." His voice was softer than anything she remembered.

Hinata did not know how it happened, but something prompted that fragile dam to crack.

"Sa-Sasuke-san, it's n-not your fault. It was m-mine."

He kept quiet, back against the wall, observing her. The silence that followed was deafening in Hinata's ears, making her extremely edgy. Trying to find ways to alleviate it, she cast her mind wildly for anything to start a conversation with, and the first people to come to mind was a rosette and a blonde.

"N-Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan came to visit today. T-they were very nice... I admire them. They're v-very strong, and I wish I was j-just that strong." Hinata managed a weak smile, and the next sentence rolled off her tongue before she could bite it back. "B-but Naruto-kun, he pities m-me... He seems to k-knows every s-single flaw I have. It's always b-been like this, ever since the beginning! What made me t-think I could be someone as courageous and strong like N-Naruto-kun? I-I can never change my fate, it w-will always remain like th-this, from when Father realised Ha-Hanabi's greater potential over m-mine." There was no stop button for her torrent of words as Hinata bared her soul more completely and more thoroughly than she could ever have imagined doing, to the man she barely even knew.

"Fa-father, he n-never cared about me. I-I was never his daughter, just the el-eldest child, and regulations dictate that I become the Hyuuga h-heiress. Ha-Hanabi was always a better choice, and Neji-san too. Father knew it, and he showed it. I-I should have been born into the b-branch family, then F-father would be happier with either Hanabi or N-Neji-kun succeeding him... They are ob-obviously better choices... I-I'm really sorry, you shouldn't have to hear all these, Sasuke-kun." Her cheeks flamed red, and her chest heaved with the shock at all her innermost emotions being revealed so utterly.

Looking up warily, she was mortified to feel his chakra signature standing exactly where she had last felt him, his chakra betraying no surprise. "A-ano, Sasuke-san, why are you still here?"

Sudden realisation hit her, and Hinata ducked her head, distressed at the way her question came out. "Um, I don't mean that. I-I'm sorry, Sasu-"

"No matter. Rest now. I'll see you tomorrow."

Before his chakra moved an inch, Hinata whispered, "I don't b-blame you at all, Sasuke-kun."

For some unexplainable reason, Hinata felt a soft tinge of relief. But… she shouldn't be relieved, right? She had just bared her soul more thoroughly than she could ever imagine. It was just that… she somehow just trusted Sasuke enough not to feel humiliated. Sasuke, he was a great deal nicer than he let on. A trace of a smile lingered at her mouth as she leant back into the pillows, her head reeling with everything that had just happened.

* * *

The next morning, Hinata was rudely awakened by shouting and heavy footsteps thundering down the corridor the floor below. Downstairs… that had to be the Accident and Emergency room! She bit her lower lip worriedly, hating the idea that someone was injured badly enough for so much chaos to be caused early in the morning.

Hearing soft footsteps enter the room, she sat up straight, facing the direction of the door, and asked apprehensively. "W-what's happened? Wh-who was it?"

"Oh, Hinata-sama! You're awake. Good morning, dear. From what I could glean from the mess downstairs, a shinobi was greviously injured after his encounter with Orochimaru," the nurse in charge of Hinata replied cheerfully despite the ominous news she had delivered.

She let out a soft gasp, feeling nauseous. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching the blanket tightly while her fingers formed tiny crescents on her palm. Yet another had fallen into his clutches. "D-do you k-know who he is?" she breathed, her breaths starting to become shorter.

The nurse pursed her lips, thinking hard. "Inuzuka-san, I think."

Hinata's heart stopped in that instant. Her breath caught as her eyes widened. "K-Kiba?" She clambered out of bed, her movement encumbered by sleep, nearly falling over with her limbs tangled up in the blanket.

"Hinata-sama! You shouldn't be moving about like that. You could get hurt!" She felt soft, warm hands grasp her upper arms, pulling her upright, and untangling the blankets.

"I have to see him."

* * *

Waiting anxiously outside the operating theatre, Hinata sat down on one of the dull plastic chairs, her fingers clasped together in a silent prayer. She opened her mouth slightly, drawing deep breaths to calm herself down. The sterilized smell of the area right outside the operating theatre bypassed the usual smell of clean, unlike the smell of the usual floral soap she was accustomed to in her private room. She turned her face slightly towards Shino, dearly wishing she could see his face, and maybe draw an ounce of comfort from him, but the deep, penetrating darkness continued to engulf her, and together with the medicinal smell assaulting her, she felt herself coming close to a panic attack. She forced herself to calm down and breathe slowly, her mind settling slowly as she let it run through a round of meditation. It did little to hide the fact that her hands were shaking, and she felt a hand grip her shoulders tightly.

"Shino, I-I'm scared."

He breathed deep and slowly, before admitting, "I am too."

She leaned into Shino's touch and together, they waited tersely for news to come.

Kiba's relatives were there as well, murmuring comforting whispers to his parents, and the fact that she was able to hear everything so clearly disturbed Hinata greatly, feeling like an intruder upon another's grief and worry.

Suddenly, the lights indicating the use of the operating theatre went off, and medic-nins filed out of the room. "Kiba-kun is stable now. You may go to see him, but no more than four at a time," the head medic-nin announced with a smile, which belied the apparent exhaustion displayed in her eyes.

Letting out a shaky laugh, Hinata let a few tears fall. He was fine. He was stable. Beside her, Shino was trembling slightly as he let his arm fall back on to his lap, sagging against the back of the chair. "That idiot's ok. He's ok," the tremor in his voice not going unnoticed by Hinata.

After Kiba's family had visited him, Shino and Hinata stepped into the hospital ward to see him. After being guided to the chair, she sat down slowly, feeling for his arm. She felt it. It was slightly cold, and there were tubes attached to it. She fingered his hand carefully, feeling the calluses on his fingers that every shinobi had, and feeling the blood crusted on the back of his hand. Shino pushed a wet towel into her hand, and she smiled gratefully, using it to wipe away the blood. As she set about cleaning his arm, she felt her resolve to not stay weak becoming stronger and firmer. She'd never let another friend suffer like Kiba had. She'd do her part in taking down Orochimaru.

* * *

Tsunade entered Hinata's room a lot later than usual that day, and was greeted with a surprise. Hinata was upright, a determined expression crossed with sorrow adorning her face. "Tsunade-sama, I would like to be discharged immediately to resume training." To say Tsunade was surprised would be an understatement. She was flabbergasted. Hinata, soft-spoken, shy, sweet Hinata standing up and taking such a firm stance was stunning. She didn't miss the lack of stutters in her speech either. This would mean that Hinata was absolutely serious, and there would be nothing to stop her from attaining her goal. Quickly regaining her composure, Tsunade gave a slight nod, "Ok, permission granted. Listen up, Jounin Hyuuga Hinata. You are to be discharged with immediate effect and take up special training with your chosen appointed partner."

"Hai."


	5. Chapter 5

Authors' Note: Near-hysterical laughter greeted my laptop recently when I checked my email to find a review commenting on a really horrible mistake that should have been obvious on the first read, and we read it at least 5 times before posting! I sent it to my other author during her tuition and I'm pretty sure she had a similar reaction to mine. Hahas. Anyway, a huge thank you to everybody for continuing to support Depth. Well, I've really been looking forward to this chapter, you'll see why. :D Do tell us what you think about it!

Replies to reviews:

Sunrisepainter: We're delighted the story agrees with you so far. This story may be about romance, but we wanted Hinata to have a life outside training and love-seeking too. Anyway, there'll always be time for the hugging and kissing later on. Hahas. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Do continue reviewing!

Candyde: Ah hah! Does our note above sound somewhat familiar? It was so embarrassing to find a mistake like that, but we're incredibly grateful that you pointed it out. Thanks so much! Hope you continue to review!

Majinme: New reviewer! Thanks lots! Do give us more comments!

Crookshies: Hmm, about that, well, it's the same reason Kabuto is still existing in the manga, not entirely, but well, you get the point. We want Hinata to become stronger through this too. Oh, if you have any ideas on how you'd like them to face off with Orochimaru in later chapters, don't hesitate to let us know! About Hiashi, he has to maintain the strength and reputation of the Hyuuga clan, so we couldn't let him be too soft in his dealings. Do continue reviewing!

* * *

"No."

Tsunade stared at the young man in front of her, her eyelid twitching slightly as she tried to swallow the annoyance bubbling in her. If he had been Naruto, all she'd have to do was threaten him with his chances of being Hokage being diminished, but she had a feeling Sasuke wouldn't care at all about being Hokage.

"Uchiha, you do realise that she's injured because of you? That this is the only way you can make amends to her?" It was a low blow and she knew it, but that didn't mask the grim, triumphant smile she had when she saw an imperceptible frown cross his face. He looked away, annoyed.

"Jounin Uchiha Sasuke, you are appointed Jounin Hyuuga Hinata's special partner, and are to aid her in her training in any way you can."

He glared at her mutinously, then wordlessly turned and strode out of the room.

"I hope this will lessen your guilt, Sasuke."

* * *

Toothbrush, face towels and old clothes. What else could she be missing? It was a pain, not having her sight as she seemed incredibly dependent on others now, even more so than usual. Sighing, she tapped her fingers idly on the bed, waiting for her 'appointed partner' to turn up. She had been mentally going over a list of whom Tsunade-sama might have chosen. Shino, maybe? It would be nice, working with him again. She hadn't been running many missions with Team Kurenai lately, mainly due to her father's insistence about learning to take over as a Hyuuga heiress. It might even be Naruto, she thought hopefully, blushing lightly as she felt her heart clench. It might even be... Her eyes widened, and her fingers froze as the image of her training with a certain green spandex-clad, very enthusiastic Jounin crossed her mind. She shook her head to banish the image. It wasn't that she didn't like him, she did, in fact. He made her smile, but the thought of running 500 laps around Konoha daily caused the smile to slide of her face.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost did not hear the quiet sound of the door opening. She flared her Chakra slightly in response and realised with a sickening jolt that she had not considered a certain Jounin at all.

"A-ano, Sasuke-san, y-you are..."

Handing her a photograph of her team left on the bedside table that she had forgotten to pack, he crossed his arms, allowing a little of his earlier annoyance to show.

"Your partner."

She might have dropped her precious photograph had she not been holding it tightly. Sasuke-san as her partner? He must think her incredibly weak, and a bother to him.

"Sa-Sasuke-san, you d-don't have to do this."

Ignoring her, he pulled her up to her feet, curled her fingers around his arm, grabbed her bag and walked out of the room.

Nearly tripping in her haste to catch up with him, she murmured a soft apology that would have gone unheard were they both not Shinobi.

"Not your fault." The reply was soft too, weighed down by guilt and self-reproach.

They walked at a pace that started to slow down after he realised her stumbling, aided or not, in total silence except for the occasional murmur about watching her step and stopping. Sasuke, he seemed perfectly content with the silence, whereas she felt increasingly awkward and tensed slightly each time his fingers ghosted over hers when he had to guide her in a different direction. Suddenly, a question popped up in her head, fully formed.

"Sasuke-san, w-where are we going? I c-can't go home."

He glanced at her over his shoulder and noted the way her fingers tightened on his shoulder, before replying. "My house." He smirked slightly as her mouth fell open with a small pop, and her face flushed as she tried to cover up that brief lack of grace.

"B-b-b-but..."

"We're here. There's a step."

Hinata became silent when she realised where they were. The Uchiha mansion. It wasn't just Sasuke's house, it was the place of the Uchiha massacre. She had no idea at all that he was still staying here, and she felt like an intruder, stepping into a place she had always regarded as a part of history in her mind.

* * *

"This is your room, you can unpack."

Bidding a hasty, "thanks", she dropped on to the bed with an ungraceful, soft thump, hoping dearly that Sasuke hadn't heard. This...this was beyond uncomfortable, but she had no say in the matter. And, she wasn't one to talk since she was the one who had asked for training, and had agreed to have a partner. Still, that meant that Sasuke had agreed too, and he wasn't one to be forced into doing something he didn't like. Why, though? She stored that question into the growing list of questions to be asked later, as she felt around the room, feeling the hard, polished wood of the table and cupboard, and the soft silk of the blanket. Fidgeting slightly in her awkwardness, she managed to unpack properly, and made a mental list of where each item was kept. It wouldn't do to have to ask Sasuke to help her find her stuff, more so her unmentionables. Just the thought of it caused blood to rush into her face, and she covered her face with her hands in dismay.

When the heat from her face had receded, she got up, wondering whether Sasuke had planned any training for her today. Just as she reached the door, she blinked in surprise as she felt his Chakra nearing. He must have been keeping a tab on her, to be safe. She wasn't sure if she felt uneasy at the breach of her privacy, of gratefulness that he was willing to ensure her well-being.

"S-Sasuke-san, c-can you tell me more about the room I-I'm staying in?"

The silence that followed made Hinata wish dearly that she could take that sentence back, probably bite it down and chew it before it reached her tongue. He was obviously uncomfortable with that question.

"It's a spare guest room."

"N-no, I mean...C-can you tell m-me how it l-looks?"

There was the silence again. Only, this time, it seemed the silence was more due to astonishment about the randomness of the question, and less due to discomfort about her prying into his private life.

"It's insignificant."

With her insides shrivelling up a little with the reception her question received, she mustered her courage to continue asking. She had to know how her room looked like. In her current state, where she could only feel hardness, softness, heat, and cold, she could only imagine a black-and-white room. If she was going to be living there for a while, she needed to know. "N-No, I'd like to k-know more about the room I-I'm living in, if you'd indulge m-me."

He stared at her, and she suppressed a tremble as she felt herself being scrutinised. He obviously thought she was a moron, but all her life, colours played an important part, and she didn't want that to disappear from her life together with her sight. "I..." The moment she opened her mouth to explain the reason behind her question, he surprised her greatly by answering.

"The room's ivory, the bed's lavender. Your room faces the Southwest, and you can see the Hokage's tower."

Smiling slightly, she ducked her head in gratitude, and he led her out to the living room where he briefly illustrated the shortest routes to be taken when moving about the house.

* * *

"This is my room, if you ever need me."

Pulling her firmly forward, Hinata's hand brushed against a polished door handle that Sasuke had kept from mentioning. Biting down her question before she could give voice to it, she smiled and nodded as he told her to familiarise herself with the house.

"We'll begin training tomorrow."

"Hai."

Walking back slowly, while feeling around her, she hissed softly as she jabbed her smallest toe against a particularly hard object in front of her. Bending slightly to feel it, she realised it was the leg of a chair. Sinking into it with the smallest of sighs, she leaned back, eyes closed, as she ran her mind over the many routes that Sasuke had taken her. When it started becoming a messy jumble in her head, she turned her head towards the breeze, and thought about the polished door handle her hand had brushed against. Sasuke had led her to his parents' room, so that left only one person to the have been the occupant of that room. Uchiha Itachi. Shivering slightly, she cast her mind around wildly, and settled on twirling her Kunai around her finger idly.

Had she been able to see, she would have been mortified to find Sasuke staring at her before he walked away, his eyes softened. He had felt uncharacteristically tense as they neared that room, and had seen that question in her unseeing eyes as he pulled her away. Entering his room, he reclined gently on his bed, his mind far, far away, reliving that moment he had returned to find everything in jumbles and chaos, and his brother standing over his parents' dead bodies. He was usually able to block out that painful memory, but it had been dragged out the moment Hinata's fingers closed around the door handle. Leaning further back and staring at the sky outside, he felt inexpressibly grateful that she was tactful enough not to mention anything.


	6. Chapter 6

Authors' Note: It's been quite awhile, we know. We apologise for the delay. Life's been hectic. Hope this makes up for it with a little more SasuHina moments in there, though with a little of somebody else too. Constructive feedback is highly appreciated!

Replies to reviews:

Nemulos: Thanks a lot! It definitely was interesting and exciting to write something about a slowly budding romance. It's my first time doing so, and I hope I'm getting it right. Don't hesitate to critique it. Your comments mean a lot to us, seeing as you've helped shape this story. :)

Oombala: It's kinda stifling to write Sasuke, to be honest. You feel like you're choking when you try to make him express something, but we're incredibly glad that it's plausible. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Sasuke's opening up just a little. :)

* * *

A soft sound roused Sasuke out of his light slumber and he sat up immediately, quickly noting the time. It was early in the morning, probably about four to five or so. Staring at his trembling hands blankly, he relived the nightmare he had just had. He was in the academy again. Having run back home after staying out to play with the other students too long, his small heart was beating furiously, in fear of being admonished by his parents. Gritting his teeth in frustration, he let out a breath of air he had been unconsciously holding. It had been that night again. The night everything in his life became a mess.

Suddenly, the same sound made itself heard, and he grabbed a kunai and moved stealthily in the direction of the sound. Stopping outside Hinata's room, he stilled as he realised what it was; a muffled sob. Seems like he was not alone in his nightmares. Noting that this was the second time he hovered outside her room like an idiot, he paused momentarily before heading back to his room. He was just a teammate at the moment. It wasn't in his place to barge into another's grief.

Back in his room, he leaned back in his bed, drawing the blankets tightly around him and stared into the gloomy darkness before him, unable to sleep, his mind full of his own nightmare, and just a small part of it wondering what Hinata was dreaming about.

* * *

The next morning, he was surprised to find her at the dining table bright and early.

"Sasuke-kun, Ohaiyo."

"Hn."

Hinata smiled discreetly to herself, having gotten used to his monosyllabic answers, complex as it may be to decipher them at times.

"M-May I know what we'll be doing today?"

Sasuke looked up from his toast, regarding her silently, noting her slightly dishevelled appearance that morning, so unlike her usual impeccable demeanour. Slightly tousled Indigo-black hair with puffy eyes to complete the look of a girl in distress. She would have been hugely embarrassed had she known how she looked right now. A slight frown graced his features and he felt distinctly annoyed at himself as he felt a slight twinge of pity for her. It was not his place to pity others.

"We'll be improving your other senses first, starting with your hearing. We'll begin the moment breakfast is over."

"H-hai."

* * *

A soft whoosh of air startled Hinata so much she nearly dropped her fighting stance. Breathing harshly, she flung herself to her right, landing rather ungracefully in the bushes in the garden.

Frowning, Sasuke grabbed her upper arms and pulled her upright, allowing her to cling onto his arm as she dusted herself down. She was flushed and panting heavily with exhaustion. A week of inactivity in the hospital would do that to anyone, but he supposed she was feeling highly strung-up, having to rely on all her senses that she normally did not rely on especially with the renowned Byakugan as her trump card.

"L-Let's do it again, S-Sasuke-san."

Grunting, he allowed her to catch her breath again before lunging at her in every direction possible.

Hinata closed her eyes in concentration, gnashing her teeth, and allowing her instincts to take over. Left. Above. Rig-no, left again. She was only supposed to be dodging any moves that Sasuke used to attack, but even that proved to be terribly exhausting. It was dizzying to be jumping about with her sight obstructed. Fortunately, Sasuke had instilled the 'No Weapons' rule, and had refrained from using any sort of Ninjutsu, even Kakashi's favourite earth technique. She clenched her fists, feeling furious with herself. She knew Sasuke was going easy on her, and while she was immensely grateful for that, she felt incredibly irritated with herself. Suddenly, her feet slipped and the ground seemed to tilt at a horrible angle. Gasping loudly, she flung her hands out, trying to grab anything in reach.

Head whipping around the moment he heard a sharp intake of breath from his companion, he translocated over to her, grabbing her around her middle. It wouldn't do to have her in the hospital again after a mere day with him. Tight-lipped, he held her upright as she wavered on her feet, her head spinning.

Oh god, the world was being incredibly mean to her today. It seemed bent on spinning furiously, and her knees buckled, falling against a warm body holding her. Tensing abruptly in realisation, heat rushed into her face and she pushed herself backwards against hands that gently brought her to the ground to rest. She wanted to moan and cover her face with her hands. That was so humiliating. Looking down at her feet, she mumbled a soft thank you while biting her bottom lip. She heard a quiet sound and knew that if she could see, she would be seeing Sasuke smirking his usual crooked smile. Annoyance at herself bubbled in her, slightly ameliorated when a soft towel was pushed into her hands.

"T-t-thanks alot, S-Sasuke-san."

Wiping her face vigorously with the towel, feeling her face start to cool down, she started to hear shouting in the distance. Glancing up, alarmed, Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder, muttering a single word that caused the receding heat to come back full force.

"Naruto."

She gulped, and nearly choked when Naruto ran up to them, shouting, "Hinata-chan! Sasuke-teme!" Smiling, she ducked her head in greeting, feeling her heart clench. "Dobe." The greeting from Sasuke nearly caused her to giggle out loud, hysteria starting to bubble in her tummy.

"What are you doing? I've caught you two slacking off! A-ha, there's no way you're going to beat me now, teme, if you continue to slack around. Sakura-chan's busy at the hospital and Tsunade ba-chan told me to amuse myself for today, seeing as it isn't the peak period for missions."

The ranting went on for a short while before Sasuke had a word in. "Dobe, we're training, and you're interrupting."

A guilty chuckle from Naruto's direction set Hinata's cheeks aflame, and she tried to hide her beetroot face with her hair.

Glancing at the now-mute girl beside Naruto, Sasuke sighed. "We'll continue later then. Let's take a break now."

Cheering, Naruto helped Hinata to her feet, and she thanked the gods that her knees, while becoming steadily wobbly, managed to get her to the couch where they all settled on. Managing a quiet chuckle every now and then when Naruto told them of his escapades, the house suddenly seemed far too quiet when he realised he was late in meeting Iruka-sensei for lunch and scooted off, bringing all the cheer and noises with him.

Bringing a glass of cool water to Hinata, Sasuke settled himself comfortably on the couch again. Feeling the need to fill the silence with some conversation, he decided on a topic Sakura had always been moaning about.

"Why do you look down?"

Startled, Hinata stopped sipping her water and looked up, her head cocked towards the side, wearing a quizzical expression on her face. "L-l-look down?"

Regretting, and mentally kicking himself for starting the conversation now, he grunted a response.

"When Naruto comes around."

A pink flush adorned her features again. She looked nice like that.

Tapping her fingers together, she had put the glass down, she mumbled out a reply. "I-I don't know...It's e-embarrassing. I-I get nervous." Hinata shifted in her seat, fidgeting as she waited for his reply. After a long silence, as she felt herself being scrutinised, he replied casually, "You shouldn't. You've nothing to be ashamed of."

For some reason or another, she felt hugely relieved. It seemed as though someone had finally acknowledged her worth, someone other than Neji-san, her teammates and Kurenai-sensei. She beamed, her heart constricting slightly.

"Thank you, Sasuke-san. You don't know how happy your words have made me."

The lack of stutters and the straighter posture didn't go unnoticed. He smiled crookedly, before leading her back to the garden where they continued their training all the way till dusk.

* * *

Reviews! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: We're incredibly sorry for the delay. Life's been hectic, what with A levels last year and us both working temporary jobs now. To be honest, last year was probably the worst year to be starting on this writing project of ours. But ah well, hindsight's always 20/20. But here's a heartfelt thank you to everybody who's been following this story. Hope this chapter is to your liking!

Replies to reviews:

Crookshies: I'd be lying if I gave you any definite answer at the moment since we haven't come to a decision about that yet, another failure in this writing project of ours. We got so caught up in the excitement of a multi-chaptered story we didn't plan very much ahead. But this chapter's filled with more SasuHina moments, so we hope that it's to your liking!

Lay: Thanks for waiting. We really do hope you're still waiting for this chapter, as weird as that sounds. Here's more SasuHina moments for you!

* * *

They had been hard at training for the past three days, dutifully going over the same routine of allowing Hinata to fall into defending herself comfortably, relying almost entirely on her hearing, and noting the subtle changes in wind and smell. She had even started going on the offensive, and while Sasuke had paused for a moment when she threw a punch towards his torso, he grinned and eased into a defensive stance. While training blind was a chore, and an exhausting one at that, it lifted Hinata's spirits greatly when she was able to dodge and fling herself away before landing catlike steps away, and when she managed to surprise Sasuke with a well-executed kick at him. It wasn't often that Sasuke was surprised, and even less often when he acknowledged that her attack had been unexpected.

Lying on her bed and feeling the cold slowly recede as the Sun rose, Hinata allowed herself a contented smile as she remembered the exact sound of Sasuke's breath catching in his throat as he had to duck while planning his next move. Flipping over and burying her head in her pillow, smelling the slight lavender smell from the shampoo she had found in her bathroom, she sighed, feeling terribly sore after the previous days' trainings. Idly, she wondered if Sasuke was tired too. It was fortunate that he had decided to call a day off today.

_I've been so busy with training I almost don't know what to do now I have a day off. It's disconcerting. I just hope Sasuke has something planned for today. _

Gloomily, she got up, patted the covers back and systematically changed and washed up before heading to the kitchen for breakfast. Somehow, without even discussing it beforehand, they had settled on each person preparing breakfast on alternate days. Of course, they only had toast when it was her turn, but Sasuke didn't seem too bothered by that, and it was just a small way she could repay his hospitality and care. It was Sasuke's turn today and she looked forward to breakfast, smelling delightfully fresh orange juice and hearing the quiet cackle of oil as the smell of omelettes wafted in her direction. Hopping into a chair, she beamed as she managed to avoid jamming her toe into a particular wall as she had been doing so the past few days.

"Ohaiyo, Sasuke-san."

Glancing at her, he noted with satisfaction that traces of a smile lingered on her face, which immediately brightened when he set her plate in front of her. Grunting in reply, he set about getting their drinks.

"Kiba was released from the hospital yesterday. Shino's organised a party this evening to celebrate. I guess you'd probably want to go."

Hinata's head jerked up, all thoughts of breakfast forgotten. "R-really? That's j-just incredible! T-Thank you, S-Sasuke-san. Are y-you going too?"

"Hn. I was invited. It's later at 6 at Ichiraku's."

"Hai." Turning her attention back to her breakfast, she beamed as she sipped her juice. It was obvious who had chosen the place.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Hinata lounged about the house, finally settling on sharpening her Kunais and Shurikens. She was almost nervous, and if she admitted it, a little scared as well. She hadn't been out since the day she was released from the hospital, and even so, that was just a walk straight to Sasuke's house. The sound of her tools against stone calmed her, even as a part of her mind laughed at how ironic it was, calming down to the sound of weapons.

Hearing the sound of metal against wood, she looked up, facing the direction of the sound. It was a habit she couldn't get rid of, and a pointless habit at that, since she couldn't see. Her lips twisted slightly in annoyance at herself, before realising that yes, that was probably Sasuke training. He hadn't been able to train to his full potential the previous days, and guilt gnawed at her. She only hoped he wasn't mad at her.

* * *

"Hinata, I'll wash up and we'll set off early."

His voice at such proximity made her jump slightly. She blushed and ducked her head in affirmative. Setting about keeping her tools, she got up and slowly moved to her room. The moment she opened her cupboard, she realised that she couldn't remember the location of her clothes. She had only been using her training outfits recently, but, wearing that out to a celebration wouldn't be nice. Sitting down heavily on her bed, she closed her eyes and frowned as she tried to remember.

* * *

After getting out of the shower, Sasuke walked towards Hinata's room to check if she was ready, and found her frowning, in front of her cupboard. Lips quirking slightly in amusement, as he tried to stifle the pang of guilt in him, he knocked lightly on the door, and stepped in.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry I haven't gotten d-dressed. I-I couldn't..." She stuttered, her eyes downcast.

"The white dress suits you." Sasuke replied shortly, handing her a soft dress made of gently floating material. "I'll be downstairs."

"H-hai! A-Arigato, S-Sasuke-san."

* * *

His appreciative eyes following as Hinata slowly made her way down the stairs, Sasuke thought for a moment of a certain rosette, and banishing that thought abruptly, he took Hinata's hand, placed it in his upper arm, and stepped out into the cool of the night.

"Are you cold? Your hands are freezing."

"N-no, I'm...a little n-nervous."

Glancing once at her, and noting her flushed face, he vaguely wondered if he should offer some kind of comfort, but they were reaching already. "We're here." Her hand tightened infinitesimally before relaxing again, and he pulled her towards her teammates.

* * *

The strong scent of ramen assaulted her, and the loud noises all around her of people chatting and eating made Hinata want to curl up against herself before hearing an even louder voice filled with exuberance calling her. "Hinata!"

"K-Kiba! H-how are you? A-Are you feeling better?" Her nervousness trickled away as the voices of Kiba and Shino stepped nearer. Holding on to Kiba's arms, she tried to blink away the tears, before kiba drew her and Shino into a hug, and the tears came. "I was so worried."

Awkwardly patting her head with one hand in a sling, Kiba looked up and nodded at Sasuke. "Thanks for taking care of Hinata."

He shook his head slightly before leaving Hinata with her teammates. He hardly attended such functions and parties, and if it were not for Hinata, he'd probably have declined this one, even if it was his fault Kiba was injured. The thought darknened his mood, and for a moment, he thought of Orochimaru, and remembered the pain in his curse mark when he had last met him. His hand gripping his left shoulder, he stared out into the night as he sat some distance away from the rest. He wasn't feeling up to socialising much today.

"Teme!"

Ignoring the call, he took a gulp of the free-flow Sake that had been provided and tried to push away the dark thoughts that were starting to consume him.

"Teme! You were ignoring me! It's not hip!"

Glancing up in shock at Naruto channelling Lee's spirit, he grunted in annoyance as Naruto flashed him a thumbs-up, grinning from ear to ear. "Got you!"

"Dobe. Sakura."

"Sasuke, Konbawa (Good evening). You brought Hinata here today?"

Upon receiving affirmative, Sakura slipped off her seat in search of Hinata. Gazing furtively behind her, Naruto quickly leaned forward the moment she disappeared and whispered excitedly. "Teme, I wanted to let you know that I like Sakura, are you ok with that?"

Only a keen observer would have noticed the flash of disappointment in Sasuke's eyes before he casually brushed it off. "Shouldn't you be asking Sakura that?"

Eyes alight with seriousness, Naruto leaned forward even more. "I wanted to ask you first. If you weren't cool with it, I wouldn't do anything."

Staring at his cerulean blue eyes, the pain in Sasuke's black eyes vanished, and he nodded, smirking slightly. "You better be good to her." Smiling crookedly as Naruto crowed and pumped his fist into the air in satisfaction, he felt slightly warm inside. He knew that Sakura wouldn't be happy with him, much as he liked her. Naruto would be good for her, and good to her.

"Sakura-chan, let's dance!" Naruto pulled her from the crowd and entwined his arms around her waist. The people around all winced, anticipating a Chakra-powered punch sending Naruto flying, except Sasuke. He leaned back in his chair slightly, and watched as a lovely rose colour dotted Sakura's cheeks and she put her hands on Naruto's shoulders. There was a dead silence, before the people around started whooping and cat-calling.

_I'm glad for you both, Naruto, Sakura._

The bar became emptier as people paired up and joined the couple, dancing along the streets outside Ichiraku. "Teme, Hinata-chan, not dancing?" An exuberant Naruto shouted to them, over the hordes of people. Turning to Hinata, Sasuke noticed her downcast eyes.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up, smiling slightly. "I'm fine. Do you want to dance?"

Staring at her for a moment, he pulled her up and led her outside. Holding her carefully, he closed his eyes and allowed the music to take over. They were so close he could smell Hinata's lavender shampoo he had bought when he learnt she was going to be staying with him. As they slowly moved in a circle a distance from the boisterous group, he observed Hinata, noting that her eyes were bright with unshed tears. "Hinata..."

"I'm happy, Sasuke-san. I'm happy that he's happy." As she looked up to smile, her lips trembled slightly.

Pulling her away from the crowd, he brought her to a bench by the lake, and they sat there, listening to the water rippling in the breeze. "I've known that he wouldn't like me, I'm not good enough, but I'm still happy for him. Sasuke-san, w-what about you? Y-you really l-love Sakura-chan, d-don't you?"

Turning to look at her, he smiled softly. "I'm glad for both of them. I love her, but I could never give her happiness." He looked back at the lake, cursing his mouth for running away and blurting out his innermost thoughts. He hadn't realised Hinata was so perceptive.

A small hand trailed towards his, and settled on his when they found his. "I-I don't a-agree with that." Looking at her again, his lips quirked with amusement as he found her staring intently at his nose. Fingers cupping her chin, he lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. "I don't agree with what you said either." He murmured quietly, snorting a little as her face turned several shades of red.

"Th-Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

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